BA/BMus in Liberal Arts and Music
Some Northwestern undergraduates choose to combine intensive study in music with a broad exploration of the liberal arts and a major in a liberal arts discipline. Students accepted into the Weinberg College–Bienen School of Music dual bachelor’s degree program may simultaneously earn a bachelor of arts degree from Weinberg College and a bachelor of music degree from the Bienen School (BA/BMus). Normally this takes five years of enrollment, but at a minimum students must complete the units of credit and quarters of enrollment described for the dual bachelor's degree in the Undergraduate Registration Requirement. The following requirements also apply.
- Units of credit may be double-counted towards both degrees, subject to some limitations. Students must earn at least 30 units in Weinberg College disciplines (what constitutes an applicable unit can be found in this Catalog under Weinberg College Requirements), and may double-count up to 15 Bienen School units to satisfy the required 45 units for the BA degree. Of the double-counted 15 units, up to 9 may be in applied music (see the Bienen School policies for applied music list). Students also must earn at least 30 Bienen School units, for a total of at least 60 units of credit for the dual degree. Courses taken in other schools of the University do not count toward these totals.
- Students satisfy the Bienen School's distribution requirements automatically by completing the requirements for the Weinberg College Bachelor of Arts degree.
- Students must complete all requirements in a major for the BMus.
- Students must complete all requirements in a major for the BA.
- Certain music courses may be applied towards Weinberg College distribution requirements (see list below).
Music courses which may be used by BA/BMus students in substitution for Weinberg College distribution courses:
Course | Title |
---|---|
Music theory sequences which each may be used in place of 1 unit in distribution Area II (Formal Studies) 1 | |
Music Theory I and Music Theory II and Music Theory III | |
Music Theory IV and Music Theory V and Music Theory VI | |
Music courses which may be applied towards distribution Area VI (Literature and Fine Arts) 2 | |
The Classical Canon | |
Performers and Performance | |
Music in the Present |
1 | Completion of both sequences satisfies the Area II (Formal Studies) distribution requirement. |
2 | Completion of two of these courses satisfies the Area VI (Literature and Fine Arts) distribution requirement. |